


Finding Peace

by theoofoof



Series: Of Scotch & Wine (SVU/Barson Missing Scenes/Post Eps) [1]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M, post-episode
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-23
Packaged: 2019-01-07 20:20:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12239967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theoofoof/pseuds/theoofoof
Summary: "He hated to see her cry; each agonising sob was like a dagger to his heart." Post-ep for 19x01. Barson





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is completely unbetad so all mistakes are my own. Please leave me a comment to let me know what you think.

"Wow!" Olivia Benson smiled in surprise as she greeted Brian Cassidy at the door. "Hello."

He grinned back at her. "Hey, Liv."

"This is a surprise."

"Yeah. I was… I was in the neighbourhood and I figured you owed me a cup of coffee."

"I do," she nodded, "but unfortunately now is, uh, not a great time." She looked back into the apartment, gesturing at Noah. "How are you?" she continued, oblivious to the look of disbelief on Brian's face. "I heard you moved to Florida?" It was good to see him. They'd lost touch after their breakup, as you do, but she'd heard a few things on the grapevine. He looked good. Happy.

"Yeah, can you believe that?"

"How's that Early Bird Special treating you?" she grinned.

"It's funny. It's good stuff Liv. I don't know, you know, truth be told, after hitting a dozen balls into the lake on the 16th at Forest Park I realised that, uh, retirement's not my thing, y'know."

"I get it." She couldn't imagine her life without her job. It was difficult at times, balancing being a single parent with such a demanding job but she wouldn't change it.

"Yeah, I knew you would. The DA's office, they were looking for an investigator so, uh," he gestured at himself, "ta-da."

"Good for you."

"Yeah, I'm on the job six weeks and I caught a child abuse case. SVU had to recuse themselves."

"That's odd."

"Yeah, uh not really Liv. We're investigating you."

She regarded him for a few seconds, not quite believing she'd heard him correctly. "I'm sorry?"

"Look Liv, I…"

She was rapidly changing her mind about how good it was to see him again. "You think that I could…"

"Momma?" Noah called from his place at the counter. "The ice-cream's melting."

"I'll just be a minute, Noah." Olivia hoped he would stay in the kitchen. She needed a moment to deal with Brian and the compose herself before tending to him again. She rounded on the man who had disturbed their quiet evening, "Is this an official visit?"

"No, I just… I had to see for myself. Hell, I didn't even know you had a kid."

"So, that whole, I was in the neighbourhood and you owed me coffee… that was what… a fishing trip, an attempt to lull me into a false sense of security?" She couldn't believe he was here, accusing her of… God knows what. "Are you the lead investigator?"

He avoided her gaze. "Liv…"

"Are you the lead investigator?" she repeated, her tone harsher than before. He nodded. "How could you even think..." She shook her head. "Forget it. It doesn't matter. Either way, you shouldn't be here." If this wasn't an official visit, they were treading on thin ice. She didn't want to be accused of trying to alter the investigation in her favour.

"I…"

"I don't want to hear it," she spat. "I can't believe this… all the years you've known me… Go home, Brian."

She slammed the door in his face, leaning against the dark wood trying to control her emotions.

"Momma. The ice-cream!"

She took a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face before turning to her son. "Coming, sweet boy."

"Who was that?" Noah asked as Olivia spooned two scoops of ice cream into his bowl.

"No one important," she lied. She slid the bowl across the counter to him. "Here you go, eat up. She watched her son, the light of her life, enjoy the simple pleasure of a late night sugary treat and was thankful that he was unaware of the bomb that had just been thrown into their lives by Brian Cassidy. She felt the tears well up in her eyes and quickly grabbed the ice-cream tub off the counter, using the act of putting it away in the freezer to shield her son from her imminent breakdown.

She took a deep breath and her gaze fell on her phone, sat on the counter. She picked it up and turned back to her son. "Momma's just going to make a quick phone call okay Noah?"

"Mm-hmm," he nodded, his mouth full of ice-cream.

Olivia closed the door as she entered her room and fell back against it, her thumb swiping across her phone screen as she found the contact she was looking for. The call went straight to voicemail and she cursed silently as the familiar voice came over the line "…I'm afraid I can't take your call right now, but if you leave a message I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

"Hi, it's me…"

* * *

 

Olivia tucked the covers around her son as he snuggled down in the bed. Since Brian had left after dropping the bombshell, she'd struggled to keep her emotions in check. Every time she thought about it she just wanted to burst into tears.

"Momma okay?" Noah's voice broke into her thoughts.

Olivia nodded and picked up the book Noah had chosen. The Gruffalo was by far his favourite. She'd been surprised when Barba had shown up at her door on Noah's birthday with a gift for him but had invited him in nonetheless. He'd bought her son a set of books by Julia Donaldson and Noah had been hooked on this one since the ADA had first read it to him that night.

Olivia opened the book and began to read, "A mouse took a stroll through the deep, dark, wood, a fox-"

*knock, knock*

Olivia looked out towards their front door uncertainly, hoping that it wasn't Cassidy again. She had nothing more to say to him. She pushed herself up off the floor, using the bed frame and stroked Noah's head. "I'll just see who that is sweet boy, okay?"

"Okay, momma."

She cautiously peered through the spy-hole and let out a sigh of relief as she saw who was standing on the other side of the door. It wasn't Cassidy. Olivia flung the door wide open.

"Hi."

The sight of Rafael Barba, leaning against her doorframe gave Olivia a sense of peace that had been missing since Cassidy's brief visit earlier.

"Hi." She stepped aside to let him in. "You didn't have to come over. A phone call would have been more than enough."

He laid his coat over the back of the chair and regarded her closely. "It sounded like you needed a face to face conversation."

* * *

_He'd been out to dinner with his mother. Since the death of his Abuelita, he'd endeavoured to see her at least once a week, but the last two weeks had involved quite a few late nights in the office, meaning they hadn't seen each other in nearly three. It was because of this that his mother, despite his protests, had insisted that switch off his phone._

_Unable to stop thinking about work completely, he'd turned it back on when she'd excused herself to go to the bathroom. It was then that he'd found the voicemail from Olivia. Her voice sounded shaky and uneven. Rafael wondered if she'd been crying._

_"_ _Hi, it's me. I… I need to talk to you…. Can you… can you call me when you get this? Please, Raf… it's important."_

_He'd called her back immediately but it had just rung out. Visions of William Lewis had swum through his head and he was on his feet, coat on when his mother returned to the table. "Mami, I have to go."_

_"_ _Rafi," she sighed._

_"_ _It's not work. It's… personal..."_

_"_ _Personal?" She raised an eyebrow. Her son didn't have much of a personal life to speak off. He was always working._

_"_ _It's Olivia."_

_"_ _Olivia?" The name sounded familiar. "Oh, Sergeant Benson."_

_"_ _She's a Lieutenant now," Rafael corrected. "She called me… said she needs to talk to me. She sounded upset."_

_"_ _You should call her."_

_"_ _I did. There was no answer. She's only a few blocks from here, I think I'm going to go over there." He tossed several bills on the table to cover the cost of their meal and bent to kiss his mother's cheek. "I'm sorry Mami. I'll call you tomorrow."_

_He walked out of the restaurant, leaving his mother staring after him._

* * *

He knew now that he'd made the right decision in coming over. Something had spooked her. There were unshed tears in her eyes and she was fighting not to let them fall.

He touched her shoulder gently. "You okay?"

She ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know. I…"

"Raf?!" Noah, having heard Rafael's voice, was out of bed and running down the hall, careering towards them.

With only a moment's hesitation, Rafael bent down and scooped Noah up in his arms. "Hola amigo." He ruffled Noah's hair, smiling broadly as the little boy laughed. He'd missed him. Like the visits with his mother, the time he's spent with Noah has been affected by his schedule recently. He made a vow to change that. He was surprised at first by how much he enjoyed spending time with Noah. He had never really been a 'child' person, never had that burning desire to become a father. But Noah had wormed his way into his heart and now the idea of being a father, being part of a family like that, well... Rafael realised it might not be so bad. With the right woman by his side of course...

The strains of the end credits to the news broadcast on the TV permeated Rafael's thoughts and he glanced at the TV, noting the late hour. "Hey, isn't it past your bedtime amigo?"

"We were just about to read a bedtime story when you knocked," explained Olivia.

"Raf read me The Gruffalo?" asked Noah. "Please!"

"The Gruffalo? Again?" Noah nodded enthusiastically. "You sure you don't want Momma to read it," Rafael asked.

Noah shook his head. "You do better voices."

Rafael looked to Olivia for approval.

"Go ahead. I'll pour us a drink." She placed a kiss on Noah's forehead. "Goodnight, my love."

"Goodnight Momma."

Rafael knelt next to Noah's bed, just as Liv had done, while the little boy clambered in. He picked up the discarded copy of the Gruffalo and went to open it. But Noah's small hand stopped him.

"No story Raf."

"But you said…?"

"I changed my mind."

Rafael resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't know if he'd ever understand the workings of a child's mind. "Okay. So straight to sleep then?"

Noah lay his head down and turned to look at Rafael. "Momma's sad."

Ah. Noah was worried about his Mom and wanted to talk about it. He was a perceptive little thing. Rafael smiled at him. "She is, huh?" he asked gently. "How do you know?"

"She was crying. I heard her. I was in the kitchen. I had ice cream. But I heard her."

"Do you know why she's sad?"

"I don't know. I'm scared it's my fault. I said I wanted Lucy to be my Mom."

"Noah, that was days ago and your Mom knows you didn't mean it." He and Olivia had discussed it. She'd been a little hurt by it at the time, but he'd managed to convince her that it was just a throwaway comment that he'd made because she was making him go to school. The little boy didn't look convinced by Rafael's assertions though. He tried a different approach. "Has she been sad all week?"

"No. Just tonight."

"There you go then. If it had been your words that made her sad then you would have noticed it before tonight, wouldn't you?"

Noah nodded. "She wasn't upset until the man came."

The mention of a man had Rafael on alert. "What man? Did you recognise him?"

"No. He talked to Momma for a bit and then she slammed the door. It was loud. It scared me."

"I see." He didn't really and knew he wouldn't until he'd spoken to Olivia. Right now, though, he needed to stop Noah from fretting about his Mom. He took hold of the little boy's hand. "Don't worry about your Mom, amigo. She'll be okay."

"You'll look after her? Make her smile again?"

"I will try my best."

"I know," said Noah quietly, closing his eyes. "She always smiles when you're here."

Rafael sat there until Noah was asleep, pondering the little boy's words.

Olivia was seated on the couch, nursing a glass of wine when Rafael eventually returned to the living room.

"He's asleep," he told her as he joined her, picking up the glass of scotch that was waiting for him on the coffee table. "So, what's going on? Noah said you had a visitor?"

"He did?"

"He heard you crying Liv. He's worried about you. He thinks you're sad because he said he wanted Lucy to be his Mom."

"Oh, my sweet boy." She stood abruptly, putting her wine glass down as she rounded the table and headed for Noah's room.

Rafael caught her hand, stopping her. "Let him sleep," he told her, knowing exactly what she was thinking of doing. "I made sure he knew that it wasn't because of anything he had said or done and that you would be okay."

"And he accepted that?" Her little man was so inquisitive and that, coupled with his sensitivity, could lead to him fretting.

"He seemed to. He asked me to look after you. Make you smile." He tugged on her hand, pulling back to the sofa. "So, I'll ask again, what's going on?"

Olivia picked her glass back up and took another sip of her wine. "Brian was here."

"Brian? Brian Cassidy?" Olivia nodded. "What did he want?"

"Did you know he was working as an investigator for the DA's office?"

"No, but you know me Liv, I hardly the type to indulge in office gossip." He'd heard there'd been a new investigator hired, an ex-cop, but he hadn't caught their name. "So, what, he wanted to talk about a case?"

"He told me… He said… _I'm_ being investigated, Rafael."

His brow furrowed. "Investigated for what?"

"For…" She bit her lip in an effort to stop the tears that were threatening to fall. She could barely bring herself to say the words. "For hurting Noah."

"What?! That's ridiculous." He shook his head. "Is this still about the bruise?"

"I don't know." She shook her head as the tears began flowing. "I could barely look at Brian after he told me; I didn't really give him chance to explain."

Rafael wrapped his arm around Olivia's shoulder and pulled her to him. He hated to see her cry; each agonising sob was like a dagger to his heart. A soul as beautiful and bright as Olivia's shouldn't have to endure such pain. Especially given all that she (and Noah) had already been through. Would the pair of them ever get a break?

His hand travelled up and down her arm, tracing gentle patterns with his fingers.

Despite the uncertainty and fear of the circumstances she was facing, Rafael's closeness began to soothe Olivia. Her mind was racing with all the possible outcomes of this investigation but he was a steadying presence; her anchor in the storm. They'd been growing closer, moving steadily towards the point where they would have to acknowledge their feelings, and when Brian had left, Rafael had been the only person she'd wanted.

"What if they try to take him away?"

Rafael wiped away her tears with his left hand as his right continued to hold her close. "No one is going to take him away, Liv. This is just a big misunderstanding. They'll see the footage from the security cameras on that junction and realise it was an accident. That it happened because you were stopping him from getting hit by that taxi."

"I was on the phone, I wasn't watching him." Olivia whimpered weakly and the tears began to flow again.

"But the signal _had_ changed?" That's what she'd told him when she'd first recounted the events of that morning.

"It had."

"So then, Noah thought it was safe to cross. It's the taxi driver that was at fault Liv, not you. No one's going to pursue this case based on one bruise."

"I hope you're right."

"I'm always right," he smirked. Olivia managed a small smile at him. "Still," Rafael added, "it might not be a bad idea to call Langan. Get ahead of this."

Olivia nodded. "I'll call him first thing."

"Good."

Olivia reached up to touch Rafael's warm cheek, feeling the beginnings of his five-o'clock shadow emerging. "Thank you."

Rafael shook his head. He didn't need thanks. They were best friends, teetering on the edge of being something more. Looking out for each other, taking care of each other it was an inherent part of that relationship.

Their gazes locked; her eyes still full of tears, although they weren't flowing anymore, his full of concern and affection. They stayed in the position for what seemed like an eternity. There were no words spoken, just the silent messages in their eyes.

Slowly, Rafael leaned closer and placed a gentle kiss on Olivia's lips. It wasn't a conscious decision, he just couldn't help himself. He was drawn to her. Olivia's hand found its way to the soft hair at the nape of his neck and, when he drew back a few seconds later, unsure of the reaction he faced, she offered him a half smile and pulled him back down for another kiss.

They stayed like that, sharing soft, gentle kisses, for a few moments. Both knew that now wasn't the time to make any declarations or pronouncements, but they could still enjoy this new facet of their relationship. They broke apart somewhat reluctantly and Olivia grasped Rafael's hand, interlacing their fingers.

"Will you stay tonight?" she whispered. "I just… don't really want to be alone."

Rafael nodded. "Whatever you want, Liv." Olivia had had a hell of a week and deserved some peace. He could provide that, for tonight at least. He only hoped that as this investigation progressed, peace would be as easy for them to find. **** ~~~~


	2. 19x02: Mood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for the delay in getting this out; real life has been a bit hectic recently. But here it is, my post-ep for 19x02: Mood. This takes place in the same universe as the first post-ep. I think I'm going to continue connecting the post eps unless something in canon directly contradicts what I have written. 
> 
> Not 100% happy with this, but I just couldn't look at it anymore. I have an idea for 19x03 too, so I'll get on that as soon as possible, and hopefully 19x04 will provide me with suitable Barson inspiration too.

Laughter echoed around Olivia's apartment as Rafael emerged from her bedroom, dressed in sweatpants and his favourite Harvard sweatshirt, towelling his hair. He smiled at the sound. Olivia hadn't had much cause to laugh over the last two weeks, with this child abuse investigation hanging over her head. Even their blossoming relationship, amazing and life-affirming though it was, had been overshadowed by the spectre of uncertainty.

He had hoped that after her interview, his colleagues at the DA's office would have seen sense and dropped the enquiry but they had yet to hear anything conclusively. It was taking all of Rafael's willpower not to storm down to the third floor and give Michelle Morrison and Brian Cassidy a piece of his mind. Olivia had made him promise not to though.

"Sounds like you two are having fun," he commented as he moved further into the living room. Olivia and Noah turned to face him and he burst out laughing at the sight of them. They looked quite ridiculous, both with ice cream on their noses. "You do know you're supposed to eat the ice-cream, right?" he asked.

Noah giggled and shook his head. "Raf, you're silly!"

"Yes, yes I am," he agreed, flopping down next to Noah on the couch, discarding his towel and turning to Olivia. "Thanks for letting me use your hot water."

A pipe had burst in his neighbourhood and he had been without water when he'd woken this morning. A phone call to the water company that afternoon as they were leaving courthouse had confirmed that the problem had still not been resolved and that it could be the early hours of the morning before full service was restored. On hearing of his predicament, Olivia had offered him the use of her shower. So after a quick trip home for some spare clothes and toiletries, he'd arrived at Olivia's for a shower, a home cooked meal and quality time with two of his favourite people.

Since their kiss two weeks ago, they'd been taking things slowly. Drinks after work, a trip to the park with Noah on Saturday morning, followed by an intimate dinner just the two of them that same night. They'd shared several sweet kisses too – and one rather heated one as he'd dropped her at her door after their date - but there'd been no declarations or even discussions. Both had been content to let this new facet of their relationship develop at its own pace.

"So, mi amigo, what are we watching?" Rafael asked Noah, ruffling his hair.

"Ding Dog Daddy," Noah informed him. Rafael was still none the wiser, so he turned his attention to the screen to try and work out what was going on. He quickly became engrossed in the storyline and the ridiculous antics of the hero, so much so that he missed the mischievous look that Noah and Liv shared. He also missed Liv passing a spoon of ice cream to the boy.

The first he knew about their nefarious plan was when the cold dessert landed on his nose. "Hey!" He snatched the spoon from Noah, as the little boy collapsed into giggles against him. He eyed Olivia suspiciously.

Olivia bit her lip to stop from laughing. "Sorry Counsellor," Liv offered with a shrug. "Couldn't resist."

"Hmm. Well, two can play at that game Lieutenant." He turned towards her, spoon in hand. She noticed the glint in his hand a moment too late and before she could react, he smeared ice cream down her cheek.

Noah guffawed; it was the funniest thing he'd ever seen.

Olivia raised an eyebrow at her son. "Oh, you think that's funny do you?" She dipped her hand into the bowl and scooped out some more of the sticky dessert.

Her hand moved towards Noah. "No Momma, no!" He tried to duck out of her way but Rafael held him still. Noah shrieked as Olivia's hand connected with his skin and the ice cream began to dribble down his face.

Noah reached to retaliate but a knock at the door distracted them.

"You expecting someone?" Rafael asked, pulling Noah onto his lap.

Olivia shook her head. "Could be Fin. He called while you were in the shower, but I let it go to voicemail." She stood and moved towards the door. "Do you think you could… maybe…" She indicated towards her ice cream covered son. She was hesitant to ask too much from Rafael, not wanting to appear like she was forcing him to a father's role if that wasn't what he wanted. If their relationship continued, as Olivia hoped it would, it would be something that would need to be discussed, but for now, she was still being cautious.

"No problem. Come on mi amigo, let's get you cleaned up while Mami answers the door." He stood, picking Noah up as he did so, and headed through to the kitchen, leaving Olivia to deal with her visitor.

Peeking through the spy-hole, Olivia sighed before flinging the door open. "What the hell are you doing here?" she spat.

Brian Cassidy had the decency to look contrite. "I wanted to explain."

"I don't want to hear it, Brian. I'm being investigated because of your big mouth!"

"Look, I didn't m-" Cassidy was distracted by Rafael rounding the corner, holding tight to Noah's hand.

"Liv, that ice cream's everywhere – even in his hair. I think a bath might be-" Rafael's gaze darkened as he spotted who was at the door.

As Cassidy looked from Olivia to Rafael, noting his bare feet, casual attire, damp hair and clear familiarity with Noah, several things clicked into place. "Didn't expect to run into you here, Counsellor?" he said with a smirk.

"I could say the same about you," Rafael shot back, before turning to Olivia. "Do you want me to run him a bath?" he asked.

After only a moment's hesitation, Olivia shook her head. "No, I'll do it. She reached for Noah's hand. "Come on, my love. Let's get you cleaned up." She led him to the bathroom, not sparing another glance for the men currently facing off in her doorway. She wasn't sure what she was thinking, leaving Rafael alone with Cassidy; he'd been quite vocal in his opinions of the man since finding out he was one of the reasons the investigation had gone as far as it had. She'd discouraged him from going after Cassidy, but this was different. Cassidy had come to them. He'd visited her home and disturbed their peaceful night in. So, if Rafael wanted to defend that, and her, then she was inclined to let him.

* * *

Rafael's nostrils flared as he faced Cassidy once more. "What the hell do you want?"

Cassidy smirked. "You might want to think about being a bit nicer to me Counsellor. I'm sure the DA and 1PP would be very interested to know about this development in yours and Liv's relationship."

"Who's to say they don't know already?"

"I'm an investigator. Give me some credit."

"Liv and I have nothing to hide," he declared confidently. "Now, I asked you a question. What do you want?"

"I came to explain..."

"Oh, this I can't wait to hear!"

"Look, Michelle and I work together. It was just an innocent conversation between colleagues."

"You gossiped about Liv's past, shared some of her deepest, darkest secrets. That's bad enough, but to do it with the person who was leading the investigation! Jesus. You fell right into Morrison's little trap."

"What are you saying?"

Rafael rolled his eyes. "You really are a moron." After Rollins had told Olivia what she'd found out about Cassidy's part in the investigation, Rafael had had Carmen do some digging. That woman knew everybody in the DA's office and, consequently, could get to the heart of the gossip and rumours in double quick time. It turned out that, before the allegations against Olivia, Morrison had been vehemently opposed to Cassidy's appointment, given his chequered past. But as soon as Olivia's name had come up in a child abuse investigation, she'd become his new best friend. "You were played, Cassidy. She may come across as sweet and innocent, but Michelle Morrison is an ambitious little snake. She's got her sights set on the top job in that department – has for years - and exposing a child abuse scandal in the NYPD, even a fictional one, would no doubt help her get it."

"How would that help her?"

"The mayor is fed up of scandals coming out of the DA's office, NYPD, DoC. He wants a full and thorough clean up. Morrison saw the allegations against Liv and, knowing of your past relationship, used you to get dirt on her. Surprising what people will do to get ahead; less than a month ago your name was mud as far as she was concerned, now you're her little lap dog."

Rafael watched as realisation dawned on Cassidy's face. "Shit."

"Quite." Rafael almost felt sorry for him. He seemed genuinely surprised by his part in all this, but at the same time, he'd broken Olivia's confidence, something that Rafael couldn't forgive. The mere thought of someone betraying her like that made his blood boil.

"What can I do?" Cassidy asked. "I want to make this right."

Rafael fixed him with a hard stare. "Stay the hell away from us and _don't_ tell Morrison anything else about Liv."

"I…" sighed Cassidy, running a hand through his hair. He'd seen the look on the ADA's face before during cross-examination. He meant business and you did not want to cross him. "Will you at least tell Liv I'm sorry? I honestly had no idea."

Rafael nodded. "I'll tell her. But I don't know that she'll ever forgive you." He certainly wouldn't.

Cassidy nodded in understanding. "Take care of her, Counsellor."

"I'll take care of them both," Rafael clarified. It was another difference between the two men. Cassidy had wanted Olivia but the thought of having a family with her, of having to share her with someone – even their own child – had appalled him. For Rafael, it was the opposite. He accepted Noah's part in Olivia's life and fully embraced it. He enjoyed spending time with the little boy and he didn't resent that he would always be his mother's priority. For the first time in his life, Rafael saw himself in the role of a father – but only with Olivia and only with Noah.

As Cassidy turned away, Rafael closed the door on his retreating form and made his way through the living room, picking up Noah's discarded toys as he went – something that was quickly becoming second nature. He entered the bathroom to find Noah sat happily in the bath, pushing his toy boat across the water.

Olivia looked at him enquiringly, as he knelt next to the bath and took control of another of Noah's toy boats, chasing his around the tub. Neither of them wanted to discuss Cassidy's visit in front of Noah so, like Olivia's wordless enquiry, an almost imperceptible nod was Rafael's reply. He was okay and the conversation was shelved, for now.

* * *

Noah fell asleep quickly, the unexpected bath having extended his bedtime by almost forty minutes. As Olivia approached the couch, Rafael lifted his arm. She sat, curled her legs up next to her and leaned into him.

He placed a gentle kiss on her temple. "You okay?"

"Mmm-hmm." She reached for his free hand. "I just wish this nightmare would end."

"It'll be over soon. There's no case here; they're pissing in the wind."

"As your hand isn't bruised, can I assume you refrained from punching Cassidy?" Olivia asked, stroking his knuckles with her thumb.

"I would have loved nothing more, but if I'd so much as tried, he'd have put me on the floor," scoffed Rafael.

"Don't sell yourself short. You grew up in _el Barrio_ , did you not?"

"Yeah, with Eddie and Alex to protect me. Trust me Liv, I am not a fighter, which you very well know, or you wouldn't have left me alone with him in the first place."

"So… if you didn't punch him…?" she pressed.

"I told him the ugly truth, that Morrison played him. She used him to get what she needed. He seemed surprised. He asked me to tell you he was sorry."

"Sorry isn't enough. The things he told her… they were private."

"I know." He ran his arm gently up and down her arm. They sat listening to the sounds of the bustling city outside the apartment, Rafael tracing patterns on the bare skin of Olivia's upper arm. "He never deserved you," he whispered.

Olivia raised her head and met his gaze. His eyes full of care and adoration. There was no judgement from him on the failed relationships from her past. "Looking back, I don't really know what I saw in him if I'm honest. We had fun together and he was there for me during the worst time of my life. I'll always appreciate that but it was never going anywhere long term. We had different dreams."

Olivia's eyes flickered to the mantelpiece, resting on a recent photo of her and Noah. Rafael followed her gaze and smiled. "You realized your dream. You did it Liv, and no-one, not Michelle Morrison or Brian Cassidy, is going to take it away. We're going to fight this. You and me."

"Just because we're," she gestured between them, "whatever we are, doesn't me you have to be-"

He cut her off with a searing kiss. "Don't! I know this is new and we've not had a proper chance to talk about where this is going, but I need you to know. The way I feel about you… this is it for me Liv." He didn't want to utter those three little words just yet, not so soon and definitely not while the cloud of this investigation was hanging over them, but she needed to know he was committed to her. To them. To Noah. "I can't do this half-way. I need to be all in. You, me _and_ Noah."

Olivia reached up to cup his cheek. "I can't do half-way either."

"So, all in?" he confirmed.

She leaned into him and brushed her lips against his. "All in," she whispered as she pulled back. "So, does this mean you'll stay tonight?"

* * *

As morning came upon them, Rafael woke with Olivia pressed against him. They had talked into the night, ignoring fatigue and leaving no question unanswered. It was important to make sure they both knew what the other wanted and where they wanted this relationship to go. When they'd exhausted all their worries and questions, Olivia had taken his hand and led him to her room. They'd made love in the early hours of the morning, exploring and learning each other's bodies, before falling asleep snuggled together.

He felt her shift next to him, beginning to wake. He smiled at her and leant down to steal a quick kiss. "Good morning,"

"Mmm," she replied sleepily. "Morning Rafa."

He scrunched his face up at the nickname. "Rafa? Really?"

"Yeah. You call me Liv, so why not?" She pushed herself up to a sitting position. "Unless you'd prefer something more mainstream like 'babe' or… I know, honeybun?"

"Don't even go there."

"So, you're okay with Rafa then?"

"I'll get used to it," he conceded with a shrug. "But only when we're alone. The last thing I need is for Carisi to latch onto it the same way he did when you started calling me Rafael."


	3. 19x03: Contrapasso

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with this chapter for two reasons.  
> 1) Trying to get the timeline right in my head - according to the dates given on the scene cards, this episode overlaps with 19x02, but that wouldn't make sense if Olivia is cleared at the beginning of this episode - which date-wise would be before her confrontation with Cassidy. So I decided to ignore the timeline for this fic.  
> 2) Julie's comment on SVU about how Barba doesn't know what's going on with Noah YET, but he will. That threw me a bit as I had said I would continue this particular universe for my post-eps until I was directly contradicted by canon. It seems I have been but as it hadn't happened in the show I agonised over what to do. I decided to continue with my own little universe until something in an episode contradicts what I have written. At that stage, I will call this universe complete and create a new one.  
> Hope all that makes sense and you enjoy these missing scenes/extra bits from 19x03: Contrapasso.

“Benson.” Olivia stepped away from the conversation with the ER doctor as she answered her phone. "Oh hi… "Thank you so very much." She could feel Amanda's eyes on her. That is great news… yeah… thank you, thank you very much."

She hung up to find the younger detective looking at her curiously. "The DA cleared me. They are closing the investigation of Noah's bruises." She exhaled deeply as she said it, relief flooding through her.

"Liv, I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"Yeah well, happy ending at least."

Amanda nodded and followed Olivia into the waiting area. They found some seats and Olivia took out her phone and typed out a quick text to Rafael.

DA'S OFFICE JUST CALLED. CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATION CLOSED. I'M CLEARED. XX

It was a couple of minutes before he responded.

GREAT NEWS. FINDING IT HARD NOT TO SAY, 'I TOLD YOU SO' THO. WE SHOULD CELEBRATE. DINNER TONIGHT?

She would have loved to have said yes, but Lucy couldn't stay late on Thursdays. She said as much in her reply.

NO PROBLEM. WE CAN DO DINNER AT YOUR PLACE. BEFORE OR AFTER NOAH'S IN BED. UP TO YOU.

She smiled at Rafael's willingness to include Noah.

BEFORE. HE'D NEVER FORGIVE ME IF HE FOUND OUT I'D DENIED HIM SOME RAF-TIME. HE ADORES YOU.

He responded with lightning speed. WELL, WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE? ;) SEE YOU TONIGHT. AROUND 6.30? X

Olivia bit her lip to stop her laugh escaping.

CAN'T WAIT X

* * *

"I've been thinking." Rafael said as he sat beside her in her office the next day, wiping mayonnaise off his fingers.

They were sharing a quiet lunch. He'd gotten out of court early and surprised her. It was nothing fancy – just a sandwich and a coffee but it was nice to see her during the day for something other than work. It was a fine line they were walking, balancing the professional and personal but both were determined to make it work. He'd even made up an excuse to explain his presence, but thankfully the squad room had been quiet when he arrived. Rollins and Carisi were out interviewing the victim about their possible leads, leaving just Fin. He was running background on their suspects and had barely acknowledged his arrival, if he'd noticed it at all.

"Uh-oh," teased Olivia.

He flashed her a mock glare. "Once this case is over, how about we do something special with Noah to celebrate the end of this DA investigation," he suggested

"What did you have in mind?"

"When I was tucking him in last night, he mentioned something about wanting to go to the zoo."

As expected, Noah had been delighted that Rafael had once again joined them for dinner and insisted that he read him a story and tuck him in. When Rafael had joined her in the kitchen where she had been washing up, she'd quickly popped her head in and bid her son goodnight with a kiss on his forehead.

She wondered if she should feel jealous that her son was always so excited to see Rafael and seemed to prefer his bedtime stories to hers, but that wasn't the case. Every interaction she witnessed between the two of them warmed her heart. She had been nervous about how Noah would take to the shift in their relationship and Rafael had respected that, keeping displays of affection to when Noah wasn't around. Although if their relationship was to go anywhere, it was only a matter of time before they would need to bring Noah into it.

Perhaps spending a few more full days together could help with that, ease Noah into the idea of Rafael being around more. Not that she thought he'd mind much. The two of them had some sort of mutual appreciation society going on.

"That'll be Bronx Zoo," Olivia said. "He's been dying to go ever since his teacher told him about a new sea lion pup that had been born there."

"Bronx Zoo it is then. God, I haven't been there in… more years than I care to remember."

"A regular visitor, were you?"

"Abuelita used to take me every year for my birthday. Even when I was at Harvard. She'd insist that I come home on the weekend closest to the actual day. It was our little tradition."

"If it'll be too painful for you, we don't have to." Olivia knew how much the death of grandmother still hurt, even now three years later.

"No, we'll go. It's a special place for me. I'd like to share it with you and Noah... if you'll let me?"

"Okay. If you're sure."

"I am. It'll be fun."

They were interrupted by Fin knocking on the door. He stuck his head in. "Rollins and Carisi are back." If he thought the scene in Olivia's office was odd, he didn't show it. Rafael wasn't sure whether to be relieved or not; Fin was a man of few words, but he saw a lot more than people gave him credit for.

"Did they get anything useful from Jason Karr?" Olivia asked.

"Said he's hiding something. Want a briefing?"

Olivia nodded. "Give me five minutes." She drained her coffee and turned to Rafael. "You want us to bring you up to speed, as you're here?"

"Why not?" he agreed, helping her clear up the remnants of their shared lunch.

By the time the rest of squad piled into Olivia's office, there were no hints of anything other than a professional relationship between them. Their lunch had been cleared and Rafael had put his jacket back on, and moved his chair back around to the opposite side of Olivia's desk.

Their tone was back on a professional level too. "The three women got together, twenty years after high school, and within a few hours, one of their teachers was found castrated in a hotel room," Olivia explained.

"What's the presumed motive?" he queried.

"It wasn't for giving 'em all Cs," quipped Fin, from his position behind Olivia's desk

"Given the nature of the injury, there's a sexual motivation behind it"

"Explains why Karr won't talk," added Rollins.

"Yeah, I can't prosecute the assault unless the victim makes an ID." Rafael knew this wasn't news to Olivia and the team, but they were exploring their options and he was happy to be their sounding board.

"Okay, well, how about we charge the three women with obstruction?" suggested Carisi.

Rafael barely managed to restrain his eye-roll. "For asserting their fifth amendment rights?"

"After they lied to us and obfuscated our investigation."

"Obfuscate. Yummy." He smirked, it was always fun winding Carisi up.

"Hold on Rafa." The smirk fell from his face as his nickname fell from Olivia's lips. He stared at her, unable to quite comprehend that she had called him that. Here. In her office. In front of the entire squad. She ignored the look of horror on his face and continued. "An obstruction charge would certainly leverage some cooperation. If you can't prove the crime, prove the cover-up.

"You'd have reasonable cause for an arrest," Rafael agreed as he rose from his chair, "but my advice is, get Jason Karr on board, or this train is going nowhere."

He exited the office without looking back at Olivia. He was trying to remain professional, not wanting to draw attention to the shift in their relationship, but it was difficult. They'd often parted company without a goodbye before but it felt too impersonal now that things had changed between them. He distracted himself with thoughts of their planned trip to the zoo.

* * *

Rafael barely made it five blocks before his phone began ringing. Seeing Olivia's name on the screen, he answered it and, without so much a greeting, began to chastise her the use of her nickname for him. "I thought we agreed you'd only call me 'Rafa' in private. I swear Liv, if Carisi starts…"

"Rafa…" Her voice was raw and rasping, she'd clearly been crying.

He was instantly on alert. "Liv? Are you okay?" He was terrified that something had happened to Noah or one of the team.

"Can you… can you come back?" she asked quietly. "Please?"

"I'm on my way Liv."

He made it back to the precinct in less than 5 minutes, his hurried pace betraying the worry swirling through him. As he entered the building, he spotted Trevor Langan striding towards him. It couldn't be a coincidence that Olivia had called him in tears and he was just leaving. Rafael walked directly into his path, forcing the lawyer to engage with him. "Liv's just called me in tears!" Langan tried to look everywhere but at Rafael and, in that instant, he knew that his instinct had been right. "What the hell is going on? She told me the DA closed the case so why..."

"They did. This is… it's something else. Something I can't talk to you about. _You_ are not my client, Mr Barba."

"No, but I'm Liv's... friend."

Langan didn't miss the ADA's hesitation over how to describe his relationship with Olivia and suppressed a smirk. "Well then, I'm sure she'll fill you in." He side-stepped him and walked out, leaving Rafael stood in the middle of the entrance hall, hands balled at his sides in frustration.

He made his way up to the squad room and strode towards Olivia's office, ignoring Carisi's call of "Back so soon, Rafael?" as he passed him.

The door was firmly shut, and the blinds had been closed since he left. What the hell had Langan said to her? He entered without knocking to find her sat on the couch, head in her hands. His stomach clenched. Locking the door behind him, he shrugged off his jacket and sat down next to her.

She looked up at him, her make-up ruined and utterly inconsolable, and it occurred to him that while he'd seen her upset before but never on the verge of being completely broken. Not even during the ordeal of Lewis' trial.

"What's wrong Liv?"

She stared at her hands, unsure where to begin. Her eyes ached; they felt dry and gritty and there was a throbbing behind them. "I had a visit from Langan." She swallowed hard and lifted the document that was lying on the table in front of her. "Ellie Porter lied. Her mother is still alive.",

The paper shook in her hands. The look in his eyes pulled at him. He took the document from her and scanned the first few lines. "She's petitioning to have the adoption vacated?"

She blinked at him, as though still not quite believing it. "I can't lose him, Rafa. He's my boy."

"We'll fight this." He tossed the document back onto the table. "There's no legal basis for this."

"That's what Langan said, but I've seen cases like this before…" She stood up and began pacing. She couldn't stop thinking about a case she and Elliot had worked several years ago, where a judge had vacated an adoption after twelve years when the biological father had discovered he had a son.

"Liv…" He didn't know to say. He wanted to tell her that she definitely wouldn't lose Noah, but they didn't know that. New York was one of the few states that permitted grandparent visitation after a child was adopted. If this went in front of the wrong judge… well, there were no guarantees in the legal system. She knew that just as much as he did. Even if he'd tried to assure her of what would happen, she had too much experience to believe him.

He stood, reaching out and grabbing her arm. "Come here." He pulled her to him and settled back against her desk. He settled her between his legs and let his arms loosely circle her waist.

Olivia let herself be held; she needed it. Professionalism be damned. The blinds were closed, and the door locked, they were in their own little bubble and it felt so good to be in his arms. Her hands found his shoulders and, in the bunching of the muscles beneath her hands, she knew he wasn't as unaffected as he appeared to be. She studied him closer. He was furious. She could see it in his eyes. He was every bit as angry as she was.

"How about we get out of here for a bit?" he suggested after a few moments.

"I can't just leave in the middle of the day, Rafa."

"Sure you can. You just get up and walk out. Easy."

"And go where?"

Rafael looked at his watch. "We could fetch Noah from school and take him to the park for an hour." Seeing her son was what she needed right now, and it wouldn't do him any harm either. "Are you really needed here right now?"

She shook her head. "No, but I will have to come back later. Fin, Rollins and Carisi have gone to arrest our suspects for obstruction."

Rafael rolled his eyes. "Really?! Carisi's ego is going to need pruning soon if you carry on like this."

Olivia's lips curved into a smile. "You're just worried that if with his law background, I won't need to come to you for advice anymore," she teased.

Rafael scoffed. "Hardly. Fordham v Harvard. There's no contest." His words alone would have sounded harsh, but there was a mischievous glint in his eye.

She stepped out of his embrace and began to gather her things. Her son was waiting.

* * *

"That was one hell of a closing argument," Olivia praised, as the courtroom began to slowly clear. She hadn't had the chance to speak to him in the intervening hours since, while the jury were deliberating; she'd been called to 1PP to discuss their latest crime figures. "Next time though, it would be nice to have a bit of a warning. Some of what you said, it upset Evelyn."

"It won us the case though."

"It did, and she understands why you said what you said. But even I was a bit worried when you first started."

"I hadn't planned on any of it. Not until Ms Rivers said what she did. How's Evelyn now?" It was a question he wouldn't have asked five years ago. But Olivia made him look at cases differently. Made him care for the victims, not just the convictions.

"She's… thinking about her own court appearance now, but she's pleased with the jury's decision."

He began to pack up his briefcase. "If only she'd told someone back when it happened. It didn't have to be this way,"

"No, it didn't." Olivia agreed. They'd seen it too many times. "But every case we win, especially ones like this, give people strength to come forward with their own stories. We are making a difference Rafa, one case at a time." After their drink at Forlini's the previous night, she felt he needed another gentle reminder or why they did what they did.

Rafael nodded. "And with every case we win, we change things for that victim." It was a speech he'd heard her give a thousand times before and he knew, deep down, it was true. It was just that some days finding a positive in their line of work easier said than done.

"Listen, if you've no plans tonight… do you maybe want to come over for dinner? I promised Noah pizza, but we can always order something else if you'd prefer. And if you stayed over, we could get an earlier start in the morning." They had decided to keep to their plan of taking Noah to the zoo. Although neither felt much like celebrating anymore, they'd agreed that it would do them all good to go out for the day – a distraction of sorts.

"I can't," he said regretfully. "I'm having dinner with my mother."

Olivia nodded understandingly. "Tell her I said hello."

"Yeah, because that won't elicit any awkward questions."

"You ashamed of me?" Olivia joked.

He glanced around the courtroom checking they were alone. He reached out, running a hand down her arm and taking her hand. "Never. I'd just like to enjoy this for a bit without my mother latching onto it and making… plans. Besides, I thought we were keeping this under the radar."

"Out of the squad room," she told him, "but not out of the open." She interlaced their fingers. "If you don't want to tell your mother about us because you think she'll start planning a big, white wedding then that's fine but don't keep it from her because you think that's what I want. I'd never ask you to do that."

Rafael nodded. "I'll see how the night goes. If the conversation goes the right way…" He dropped Olivia's hand as he picked up his briefcase. "Who knows, by the end of the night you may be Lucia Barba's newest obsession."

Olivia laughed as she followed him out of the courtroom.

Later, as Olivia sat curled up on the sofa, nursing a glass of Cabernet and trying to shake off the feelings that Sheila Porter's unannounced visit had evoked, she received a text from Rafael.

TOLD MAMI ABOUT US. SHE'S IN FULL-ON CUBAN MOTHER MODE - SHE WANTS TO MEET YOU AND NOAH. I'M ONCE AGAIN RESISTING THE URGE TO SAY, 'I TOLD YOU SO'

* * *

Olivia watched as Rafael effortlessly lifted Noah onto his shoulders as the two of them make their way back to her by the meerkat enclosure. He manoeuvres the little boy with natural ease; a far cry from the first time he'd held him. Rafael had offered to go and buy them all a drink – the day was warm (for October) and they were all feeling a little thirsty after walking so far and taking in almost half the exhibits – and Noah had insisted on going with him. Olivia normally packed drinks and snacks from home as she hated paying the extortionate prices charged by the zoo's cafés and shops, but she'd been called into work the previous evening so she hadn't had the time. As Noah and Rafael got closer she noticed Noah was carrying something in his right hand; something that definitely wasn't a drink.

"Look what Raf bought me!" Noah exclaimed holding out a plush elephant for her to see.

"That's lovely, honey," Olivia replied before levelling Rafael with a raised eyebrow. "It's an odd-looking drink though."

"We got drinks too," Rafael explained as he lifted Noah off his shoulders and placed him carefully on the ground, allowing him to run off into the playground. "They're in the bag."

"And the elephant?"

"To get to the café you have to walk through the gift shop and well… you saw how entranced he was by the elephants earlier."

"You're spoiling him," Olivia gently admonished, unable to believe that the great Rafael Barba has fallen for one of the oldest sales tricks in the book; strategic product placement. "If you're going to be in Noah's life then you need to learn to be strict and say no to him. He can't always have everything he asks for."

Rafael held up his hands in surrender. "Woah. He didn't ask, okay." He hadn't planned on telling Olivia what had transpired between him and Noah in the gift shop, but it seemed he didn't have much choice now, not if he wanted them all to enjoy the rest of the day. "We were talking about the elephants while we were waiting to pay for the drinks and he asked me if what the zookeeper said was true, that the female elephants are left looking after the babies because the males just don't want to stay with their children. I told him that it was, and he said that meant that the two of you were a little bit like the elephants." Olivia's eyes widened; Noah had never spoken about not having a father, but clearly, it had been something he had thought about. "I agreed," continued Rafael. "I told him that, just like you, the mommy elephants love their children very much and they work very hard to look after them and keep them safe."

Olivia felt tears gather in her eyes. "Oh, Rafa."

"I bought him the elephant so that every time he looks at it, he'll be reminded of you," Rafael continued. "Of how strong you are and of everything you have done, and are still doing, to protect and care for him."

Olivia glanced across the playground, checking that Noah was suitably distracted before reaching for Rafael's hand and allowing their fingers to interlace. "Thank you," she whispered. "What you did, what you said to him…" her voice trailed off as the tears she had been holding back all day began to flow.

"Liv?" Rafael pulled her gently to him, wrapping his arms around her. "Liv, sweetheart, what's wrong? Talk to me. You've been out of sorts all day."

"Sheila Porter turned up at my apartment last night," she mumbled against his shoulder.

"What?!" Rafael pulled back to look at her, but his hands remained on Olivia's shoulders. "Why didn't you call me?"

Olivia shrugged. "I was going to, but you were with your Mom. I didn't want to ruin another dinner between you. If this relationship is going to go the distance, it would be nice if your Mom actually liked me. Besides, it wasn't a big deal, not really."

"My mother will love you," Rafael assured. "So, what happened?"

"I was putting Noah to bed – we were re-reading Peter Rabbit for the hundredth time – and there was a knock at the door. Noah thought it was you." Rafael raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Well, he didn't say it explicitly, but when I asked if he'd invited someone over, he said no and said that I had. You're the only one who's been over in the evenings recently."

"He's a smart kid. What did Ms Porter want?"

"She introduced herself and told me she wanted to 'make me aware' that she was in the city."

Rafael's brow creased as he considered her words. "Did she ask to see Noah?"

"I didn't give her the chance; I closed the door in her face. Luckily, she went away."

"How the hell did she get in in the first place?"

"Probably took advantage of one of my neighbours going out." She felt the disapproval in Rafael's gaze. "Like you have done several times," she reminded him.

"It happened by chance on a couple of occasions, but I always had reason to be there. And your neighbours know me. Maybe your landlord should have a chat with your neighbours about letting strangers into the building or something…"

"We can't all live in a building with a doorman. It was fine, she left without incident."

"And next time?" he challenged.

"Need I remind you that I'm a lieutenant with the NYPD, I'll be fine." Rafael rolled his eyes at her dismissive tone. "If it makes you feel better, I am going to speak to Langan on Monday. See what our options are regarding a restraining order. I don't hold out much hope as she's only approached me once, but I need to make sure I've done my due diligence."

"I'd feel better if Langan wasn't such an incompetent buffoon."

"He made a mistake, Rafa." Olivia had been angry with him too. But after some reflection, she realised that if they had discovered Sheila Porter's existence during the adoption process, she'd probably still have tried to take Noah back. The situation wouldn't have been much different, except for the fact that Olivia's legal position would have been weaker.

"Still." He had another thought. "You'll make the school aware too. And Lucy." He wanted all bases covered.

"Yes. Now, can we please change the subject? We're having a wonderful day and I don't want this… 'situation' to spoil it.

"Okay," agreed Rafael. "Here's a new subject for you. My mother has invited you and Noah to brunch."

Olivia's eyes widened. He'd said in his text that his mother had wanted to meet her and Noah, but she'd taken it as more of an abstract wish. She didn't realise there had been a specific invitation. "Brunch? When?"

He nodded. "Next Sunday, after Mass. She suggested tomorrow, but I managed to convince her it was a little short notice. I can still put her off if you'd rather not."

"N-no. That should be fine."

"Liv, you don't have to-"

"No, I'm looking forward to it. Honestly. I was just surprised at her eagerness, that's all."

"I told you, she's gone into full-on Cuban mother mode." The smirk that appeared on Olivia's face made Rafael feel uneasy. "What?"

"I was just thinking about all the embarrassing stories she must have… and wondering how much persuasion she'd need to bring some baby pictures," she grinned.

"Dios me ayude," Rafael muttered, as Noah came running back.

"Look Momma, ice-cream!" he exclaimed, pointing at a kiosk further down the path.

"You've already had a lot of sugar today Noah," replied Olivia, thinking of the syrup covered pancakes he'd had for breakfast. "And too much sugar is bad for you."

"But it's really warm and ice cream will help me keep cool. Isn't that right Raf?"

When Noah looked up at him and put on his cutest face, complete with puppy-dog eyes, Rafael realized that this was the perfect opportunity to address some of Olivia's earlier concerns. To show her that he can say 'no' to Noah.

He reached into the bag and pulled out a bottle of water, handing it to Noah. "I'm sure this will do the job just as well," he told him. "And it's much healthier."

Olivia watched the scene with great interest, pleased to see that Rafael has taken on board her concerns. However, knowing just how easily Noah can wrap him around his little finger, she decided to intervene. If Noah was given the chance to pout or cry, Rafael would probably have given in. She flashed a quick, reassuring smile at Rafael, before addressing her son. "Hurry up and have your drink sweet boy," she said, taking a swig from her own water. "Then we can go to the sea-lion enclosure."

Her words had the desired effect. Noah's focus shifted from ice-cream to the new sea-lion pup he'd been so excited to see. When he'd drank his fill, Noah handed the bottle back to Rafael with a smile and took his hand. Olivia took hold of Noah's other hand and together, they walked towards the sea-lion enclosure. Rafael sighed with relief. Noah hadn't fallen out with him, and Olivia had seemed pleased him. They have overcome that particular hurdle. If only the others they faced would be beaten so easily.


End file.
